Making Buses a Better Choice: the Peter Huntley Memorial Award sponsored by Heathrow Airport
Winner, Gold Award, Bus Services in New Residential Developments Guidance – Stagecoach Bus
Faced with increasing evidence that the needs of bus passengers and bus operators were poorly understood in the design of new developments, Stagecoach plunged into the complex world of town planning and urban design to provide a clear and consistent set of guidelines on how best to incorporate buses into high-quality placemaking. Aimed at professionals in the worlds of planning, development and highways engineering, a concise illustrated guide to best practice was prepared following a national programme of research, building on Stagecoach’s existing increased engagement with the development sectors. They provided a clear and consistent set of guidelines that all stakeholders could use across the UK, to ensure that significant housing development proposals are designed to be bus-friendly. Their guidance led and input into a range of work by other national stakeholder organisations as they separately set out to maximise the contribution of sustainable modes to personal mobility, at a time when most towns and cities in England are faced with a housing growth programme not seen since the end of the 1960s.
Winner, Silver Award, West Midlands Bus Alliance – Transport for West Midlands and partners
The West Midlands Bus Alliance was established to further strengthen partnership working between stakeholders, drive patronage growth, increase passenger satisfaction and provide a bus network to support economic development in the region. The Bus Alliance provides formal governance to support this and ensures there is greater buy-in from the diverse bus operators in the region as well as the highways authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships by providing shared ownership of objectives and delivery. The original intention of the Alliance was that by working closely together, all of the benefits that might otherwise be achieved through franchising can be acheive, but without the need for contractual relationships and associated costs. At an event to celebrate the first two years of achievements during the Coach & Bus UK Show, members signed up to a brand new Bus Alliance agreement, investing a further ú150m and fulfilling 50 pledges by 2020 to meet objectives, including rigorous new standards on emissions and tackling congestion in the region.
Winner, Bronze Award, X10 Stagecoach Express – Stagecoach Yorkshire
Stagecoach Yorkshire introduced a new service X10 Stagecoach Express, between Barnsley and Leeds in October 2017 designed to create new, quick and direct links between the two places and offer viable alternatives for commuters and shoppers over other modes of transport – particularly the train. The launch of this express service shows that when commercial, operational, marketing and driver teams all work together in a positive and proactive way, great things can be achieved. Customer praise for this service has been glowing with 99% of surveyed customers saying they would recommend the X10 and modal shift.
Finalist, Winchester Bus Station – Hampshire County Council
The new bus station in Winchester has been a partnership between Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council, the EM3 Local Enterprise Partnership, local and national bus and coach operators and traffic, highways and tourism specialists. The new bus station followed a period of 20 years uncertainty. One and a half million visitors and residents arrive in central Winchester by bus each year with 65,000 arriving or departing from the bus station each week. The bus station has an open plan design which faces the historic Guildhall and tourist office and features level access, a ticket office, cafe, toilets nearby, real time information displays and covered waiting areas.
Finalist, Liverpool Bus Alliance – Merseytravel and partners
The Liverpool Bus Alliance is a five year partnership between private sector and local government, redefining bus services in the Liverpool City Region. It’s about providing existing and potential new users with improved, more efficient, modern, joined-up and better value bus services. The Alliance is focussed on improving the quality of vehicles and customer service, value for money journeys and straightforward travel including simple fare structures and easy to understand journey planning and a clear, simple bus network. Now in its second year, the Alliance continues to with its key aims to grow fare paying patronage and deliver best in class customer satisfaction scores.
Finalist, Route 64 – Stagecoach South
Stagecoach South’s Route 64 provides a direct connection between Winchester, Alresford and Alton. Not only is it a well used link for commuters travelling to London from Alton, it’s also a great service for visitors to the area with well known local attractions along the route. The vehicles previously used on the route were due for an upgrade, and as the route was steadily growing, there was a window to enhance the timetable to further improve the service. Last November saw the launch of six brand new Enviro 400’s which came equipped with USB charging points, free wifi, e-leather seating, next stop announcements and contactless payment technology. The timetable enhancements, introduced at the same time, included later evening journeys Mondays to Saturdays and a new hourly service on Sunday. The vehicles were re-branded to help the service stand out and showcase some of the local attractions on the route. The changes meant the service would become a more attractive proposition to passengers, providing the opportunity to use the bus for more leisure journeys.
